Birth control > The Council of Senior Scholars decision no. 42
Abstract of the decree of the Council of Senior Scholars number 42 dated 13/4/1396 A.H.
Since the Islamic Shari`ah (Islamic law) encourages birth increase as a great blessing bestowed by Allah upon His Servants, many Shar`i texts in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger corroborate this principle. In this respect, research was submitted to the Permanent Committee of Scholarly Research and Ifta', as the call to birth control and contraception contradicts with human nature upon which Allah has created His Servants and opposes the Shari`ah which He (Exalted be He) has approved for them. Also, knowing that the advocates of birth control and contraception drive at plotting against Muslims in general and Arab Muslim nations in particular in order to colonize their countries and people, and realizing the fact that doing this is considered an act of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic time of ignorance) involving distrust in Allah and weakening the Islamic social structure; the Council has decided that it is not permissible by any means to control birth or practice contraception for fear of poverty. But on the other hand, if contraception is practiced for a genuine necessity like the inability of a woman to give normal birth or having to undergo cesarean for delivery, or if birth control is decided for a benefit seen by the spouses; in this case there is no harm in practicing birth control in accordance with the authentic Hadith and reports narrated by a group of the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet)
(may Allah be pleased with them) concerning the permissibility of coitus interruptus. This also conforms to the declaration of some scholars regarding the permissibility of taking medication to abort within the initial forty day period. Rather, it becomes obligatory to use contraception in cases where there is a certain need for that.
The Secretariat-General of the Council of Senior Scholars
--------------------------------
Read more in detail about Birth Control and Islamic Ruling Here
